Kikongo

Kikongo (also Kongo) is a Bantu language. It is spoken by Bakongo and Bandundu people living in tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Angola.

It is a tonal language and formed the base for Kituba, a Bantu creole and lingua franca throughout much of west central Africa. The vast majority of speakers live in Africa. There are about seven million native speakers of Kongo, with approximately two million more who use it as a second language.